Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease and Chiropractic

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) in the neck is fairly common,and is usually the result of abnormal wear and tear secondary to misalignments (subluxations) of the cervical vertebrae. This is very similar to what happens to the tread of a tire when the front end of your car is out of alignment (watch the degenerative disc disease video at www.spine-health.com).

The spinal discs are fibrous pads that are in between the vertebrae. There is a jelly portion in the middle...kind of like a jelly donut. This is what gives the spine flexibility.

Cervical spinal discs are very strong...they need to be because they were designed to act like shock absorbers. The spinal discs also hold the spinal bones together...so they are considered a ligament.   

When the cervical discs degenerate the bones come closer together because the disc loses height. This can actually irritate the cervical nerve roots and cause neck pain, pain in the arm and hand, and weakness of grip...along with a bunch of other stuff...including headaches.

And...the degenerative process can be happening for quite a while without any symptoms.

Cervical degenerative disc disease can also lead to herniated discs in the neck...bad news.

I have been treating DDD and herniated discs now for 17 years in the SF Financial District. One thing is clear...once you know you have disc degeneration in the neck, it's best to take action and try to contain the damage and slow down the progression of the disease process. This is where chiropractic comes in.

Chiropractic adjustments can help to re-align the cervical spine and restore lost motion...bringing the discs back to life. And, your chiropractor can teach you very specific exercises that you can do to support the adjustments. Your chiropractor can also teach you the best positions to sleep in, the right pillow to use...and how to setup your workstation properly.

At Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center...this is exactly what we do. Hey. you only have one spine...it's best to take care of it so it can protect your spinal cord and nerves.

Neck surgery is not fun...and it's easy to prevent, just like a cavity if you take care of your spine.

Pain in the neck, pain down the arm, weakness of grip, headaches...these are all warning signs of possible disc degeneration, subluxations,  or disc herniations in the neck. If you have any of these symptoms, get checked right away...chances are the problem has already been there for a while. And, if you catch it early, it can be a relatively easy fix. Anyway...that's my advice :)

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco...call 415-392-2225, press #1 (24 hr live operators). Ask for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Eben Davis.